How Can I Silence My Fear of Failure When Starting to Write?

How can I silence my fear of failure when starting to write? When writing, I think one silences one’s fear of failure by experiencing the fear, exploring its nuances, discerning its meanings, and understanding its origins. I suspect that the experience of creative writing has two levels: the story the author is attempting to tell and the personal history that parallels this narrative. Each moves the other. As it becomes clear that the apprehensions of the past no longer apply, the fear subsides. There is, however, the fear that is unique to the challenge one gives oneself when undertaking a writing project. I think that kind of fear motivates more than inhibits the writing process.

Starting to write is something very beautiful that comes from the deepest part of one's imagination to the worst thing in it! "How to silence the fear of failure when I start writing?" It is a very good question that I did not understand at the beginning ... And my conclusion to this is: If you like something and have the talent to dedicate yourself to it, you can add value to the rest. Echo is better than perfect ... "Take action and the rest will come rolling."

Starting to write is something very beautiful that comes from the deepest part of one's imagination to the worst thing in it! "How to silence the fear of failure when I start writing?" It is a very good question that I did not understand at the beginning ... And my conclusion to this is: If you like something and have the talent to dedicate yourself to it, you can add value to the rest. Fact is better than perfect ... "Take action and the rest will come rolling."

One way around the fear is to publish anonymously but what fun is that. And then too there is the added paralyzing fear of writing about oneself. Not only might we lose our worth since as stated below who wouldn't associate their worth with their work, but even worse, we might have to cringe at the review not just of our writing but of our lives.

Let me quote from the closing scene of the Mike Poulton play "Imperium," about the life of Cicero, which opened last year at the RSC in Stratford-on-Avon to sensational reviews then transferred to London's West End to equally ecstatic reviews. "All that men do or say dies with them--and is blotted out--lost and forgotten in the slow embrace of time. All that remains of a good man [or a good woman]--a good life--is what is written down." Now, that should be motivation enough to get the stylus, quill, pen or keyboard moving!

“How can I know what I think until I see what I have to say.” Writing, especially when we leave the internal editor out of the picture until the creative process is complete, is a freeing form of expression. We were all community (i.e. senior) members of an Intergenerational Writing Course, at The University of Colorado that matches seniors to millennials enrolled in college. We community members couldn’t bear not continuing to do things together when our Intergen class ended. We’ve formed a 500 word essay group and we meet monthly, edit each other’s writing, and read aloud what we’ve written. Our writing has improved. But more important, our lives have been enhanced by our cooperative experience. We Courageous Agers think we’re in to something.

Still trying to figure out what the 45 story tower has to do with writing. Also, watching movies about wire-walking are terrific procrastination to avoid writing.

Orwell said anyone who's afraid to write badly will never be able to write well; an insight which suggests the deep dark secret behind writing well is rewriting, and rewriting until you're at the point of giving up, then rewriting some more.

Good advice that wears well from Friedrich Schiller. [He] answers a friend who complains of his lack of creativeness in the following words: “The reason for your complaint lies, it seems to me, in the constraint which your intelligence imposes upon your imagination. I must here make an observation and illustrate it by an allegory. It does not seem beneficial, and it is harmful for the creative work of the mind, if the intelligence inspects too closely the ideas already pouring in, as it were, at the gates. Regarded by itself, an idea may be very trifling and very adventurous, but it perhaps becomes important on account of one which follows it; perhaps in a certain connection with others, which may seem equally absurd, it is capable of forming a very useful construction. The intelligence cannot judge all these things if it does not hold them steadily long enough to see them in connection with the others. In the case of a creative mind, however, the intelligence has withdrawn its watchers from the gates, the ideas rush in pell-mell, and it is only then that the great heap is looked over and critically examined. Messrs. Critics, or whatever else you may call yourselves, you are ashamed or afraid of the momentary and transitory madness which is found in all creators, and whose longer or shorter duration distinguishes the thinking artist from the dreamer. Hence your complaints about barrenness, for you reject too soon and discriminate too severely” [1788. Wisdom knows not time.]

Please know that Stephen King wrote his first published novel while living in a trailer and writing in the bathroom for privacy. He didn't let poverty or anything else get in the way of his first book...Carrie.

Thank you. That was lovely.

Yup, I wrote this one, but there is some good advice about making it through the first draft and the second draft and subsequent drafts, and used copies are pretty cheap: https://www.amazon.com/13-Ways-Looking-at-Novel-ebook/dp/B001NJUOO4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pb_opt?ie=UTF8 I guess the key point is that you don't know what you are doing while you are doing it, only after you've reread it, so not judging your work as you make your way through it is a good first step.

Forget about the critic and just tell your story. Put down the basics first and then edit, edit, edit, until you are satisfied that you’ve written the best that you can. Find a good editor and let them have a go at your story. Use your own judgement and accept the edits you like and ignore the ones you don’t. Trust in your ability to tell your story. Set mini goals. I’m in the process of writing my second novel. This has worked for me!

Feel the fear and do it anyway. Alas, I am a coward. The page stands blank, accusing. A mind paralyzed.

Failure is our friend.

Start by understanding that striving to create something you love, if it is significant, brings with it inexorably the possibility of failure. But, most of use do not fear failure itself. That is redeemable. Try again. What we fear is the MEANING of our failure, specifically what it means about our ability, our capacity. If your self-concept is wrapped up in being able to be a writer, then you will protect that belief, even if that means not writing. Not writing is an excellent way to avoid proving that you don't have the ability you have attached to your identity. Investing work, effort, skill, etc. into a task removes those excuses if you fail and leaves only--in most people's minds--inability, inadequacy. If you associate your worth with your work, then this is evidence of unworthiness. If your worth is at stake on this task, it is no wonder you fear it. Lack of investment is a protection. Effort is double-edged. It is necessary if we are to achieve, but removes our protective excuse. Fear is an emotion and a physical state evoked, in this case, not by a physical threat but a mental one. As such, you can use mental tools. Emotions have relatively short lives. Learn to calm your body to calm your emotions. Once your emotions are manageable (there are many skills for emotional self-regulation you can learn and use), then you can also use your thoughts, self-talk, etc. to quell fears, but, more importantly, tap into your love of the work and deep motivation for doing it.

Most successful writers have had to write to survive. In many respects, the ‘fear of failure’ is perhaps not fear of “failure” itself, but a lack of confidence on the writer skills or knowledge of the craft, which might be rationalized as a fear of failure. “In more recent times one often notices that the most prolific fugue writers are the composers who have the greatest difficulty in being direct and lucid in a freer compositional style.” —Glenn Gould, Intro. to the Art of the Fugue. There’s no more incentive to succeeding than "when the wolf’s at the door," so to speak: Lee Child began writing after losing his permanent employment; Toni Morrison and John Updike, had to write to support their families—Failure was not an option.

I cannot imagine or comprehend how much has been lost because of a lack of encouragement; in every endeavor.

"Anxiety of Influence" - Harold Bloom - 1973 - maybe useful to this question.

I am an academic and therefore produce academic articles and research. It is (or more accurately was) necessary for success and promotion. I found over the years that the best way to do research and write was to do it for myself. I write for my pleasure and enjoyment. I write for an audience of one, i.e. I. I do not fail when I write for myself. If anybody else should read or judge or like what I write, so be it. Otherwise who cares. Obviously this approach requires a good deal of ego and self-confidence. Worked for me. Fear of failure was not a factor. Being judged by nitwits was an occasional fear.

For me personally, that fear never goes away. (I’m writing my second novel.) But the love for story outweighs it; and that love is what keeps you going. It also helps if you’ve experienced the thrill and satisfaction of finishing a story before... and maybe even getting it published. If you have, then you know there is a reward at the end that makes all the fear and anxiety (and hard, lonely work) worth it.

"You are likely your own cruelest reader." And you are probably right. If only more writers listened to themselves.

Writing is like looking in the mirror. Every wrinkle, blemish, puffy eyelid you don't want to believe exists stares back at you. I've never done anything in which I had to face my true self more authentically (or write dribble if I failed to do so.) It is humiliating at its worst, humbling usually, often satisfying and occasionally mind-blowing when all the jets are firing. Keep it up. You aren't required to share it. Only if you want to.

It just has to be done every day and with some discipline. Even if you just write near-nonsense or recount old stories of your youth you've told a thousand times. Slow down and just pontificate and let it happen. And once a handful of pages are down, wind it down and go do other things.

I'm not a writer, but I'll ask: What is failure? I would suggest that writers remember that 12 editors reject J K Rowling's Harry Potter. I wonder what they're doing now.

Ignoring the challenge of being first (and espousing the advice of my writing instructor A. Szanton by nixing my opening adverb, 'fearlessly') (but flouting his prohibition on parentheses!) I would offer that my other writing instructor, S. Kaye, always said, "Just start writing!!"

The easiest may be to keep writing, while living with the fear. Next, consult a competent psychologist, but do not let him psyche you out of creative writing. The last and the worst, stop writing.

This is wonderful Thank you - I am a writer in the sciences and this both resonates and restores